This field combines technical and problem-solving skills with ethical understanding and cultural competency. Global development engineers partner with people around the world on projects that specifically address issues such as economic empowerment, environmental quality and access to health care.

Duke's Certificate in Global Development Engineering features an innovative curricular pathway that includes training in technical subjects as well as culture and language, ethics, public policy and economics. In addition to course work, those who pursue the certificate get real-world experience, implementing a designed solution either in the United States or abroad, and during a project-focused capstone course.

Certificate Requirements

Successful completion of seven (7) courses and one experiential component will lead to a Certificate in Global Development Engineering:

Global Competency (select three)

Select one (1) from Language & Culture

Must be a functional proficiency course, level 203 or higher, or a corresponding curricular competency course in another culture with an explicit focus or major goal being cultural competency, from one of the following Duke academic departments:

The component is typically a month-long experience in a setting, within the United States or internationally, where you team with a community partner to identify, design and implement your idea.

In advance of completing their experiential component, the student (or group of students) should email Dr. David Schaad, the faculty director of the certificate, a brief, one-page summary of the proposed experience that provides these five items:

Where the experience will take place?

Who is the community partner?

Who is the faculty mentor for the project?

When will the project take place?

A brief synopsis of the designed intervention

For Summer Experiences

If this is a summer experience, please submit this email by the beginning of Spring Break in the semester prior to when the summer experience is going to be conducted. The committee will meet to consider all submissions and will provide feedback to the students by April 10th about their proposal and if the project is approved for meeting the certificate requirements. If it is approved, a post-implementation report will be required following the completion of the experience demonstrating how the learning objectives were achieved, the partnership was enhanced, and student reflections on the experience.

Contact for more information

David E. Schaad, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, D.WREProfessor of the Practice of Civil and Environmental Engineering(919) 660-5174david.schaad@duke.edu